A beautiful and exciting first challenge saw a new very young ‘campeon’ win and a dualism that is destined to increase in the coming years, match after match, tournament after tournament.
Tennis is experiencing a phase of great popularity in Italy, thanks to the results of our tennis players, who are ready to take the field for Captain Volandri’s national team in the Davis Cup and to the organization of major international events such as the ATP Finals, scheduled from 14 to 21 November in Turin and the Next Generation ATP Finals, scheduled in Milan from 9 to 13 November.
For some time we have been wondering what the future of this sport will be which, in the last 20 years, has been experienced in the men’s circuit thanks to the exceptional achievements of the ‘Big Three’: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
Yesterday, Wednesday 3 November, a first encouraging response arrived which is also a promise for the future that will be up to tennis. In the round of 32 in Paris-Bercy, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz met for the first time in a prestigious tournament such as a Masters 1000.
The match was very important for the young South Tyrolean champion, born in 2001, who had to win to continue chasing qualification for the ATP Finals, scheduled in Turin from 14 to 21 November.
In the last tournament in Vienna he had conquered the top-ten for the first time, losing only in the semifinals against Frances Tiafoe. On the French indoor courts, the heaviest points were up for grabs to qualify for the event under the Mole. Sinner, to prevent the comeback of his rivals in the ATP Race, in France would have had to go as far as possible.
More than his direct rivals to qualify for the Finals, the Polish Hurcacz and the British Norrie, who now know they have a great opportunity ahead of them to take advantage of Sinner’s misstep, who can only hope to go to Turin. to win the ATP 250 in Stockholm.
The draw of Paris-Bercy, in view of the ATP Finals qualification, was not kind to Sinner, putting him in front of the number 35 in the world, the 18-year-old new phenomenon of the circuit, Carlos Alcaraz.
The very young tennis player from Murcia, in Vienna, was able to overtake our Matteo Berrettini, number 7 in the world, (6-1, 7-6, -7-6) by beating him in the decisive tie-break.
Alcaraz, in yesterday’s match against Sinner, again proved that he is already much more than a predestined or an excellent prospect in the future.
The Spaniard, born in 2003, is the youngest tennis player in the top-100 and is also the most favorite for success in the Next Generation ATP Finals, scheduled in Milan from 9 to 13 November, the annual tennis tournament in which the best eight young Under-21s of the ATP Tour season.
The first match between Sinner and Alcaraz showed how much tennis is destined to be still uncertain and exciting in the future. Both experienced a 2021 that led them to climb the rankings and, despite having room for improvement for obvious personal reasons, they are already playing with the maturity of veterans.
Two champions met in the meeting and the first to realize it are these two guys. Both have pushed each other to give their best to express the best.
As Sinner rightly pointed out in the final press conference: “They are small things, when the game ends 7-6 7-5 it is a matter of details”.
Precisely those numbers that are capable of making spectators hold their breath and cheer for one or the other champion.
The most beautiful image is the one that comes at the end. The embrace and the complicit smile of two champions who know they have given a show. “Great match, many more to come”, wrote Alcaraz in his Instagram Stories, reciprocated by Alcaraz with “Good luck” for the rest of the tournament.
If there can be any consolation for Sinner, it is that if he compromised his run in the Finals he did it against a great young opponent with whom he will have great opportunities for revenge. The first may be sooner than expected. If it is useless to go hunting for points at the ATP 250 in Stockholm, Sinner will show up in Milan at the Next Gen Atp Finals. He is also among the best eight young Under-21s of the year.
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